Arm-rest for books



(No Model.) .2 Sheets-fiheet 1.. J. E. SCHONACKER.

ARM'REST FOR BOOKS.

No. 358,698. Patented Mar. 1,1887.

PETERS, PhnXH-Rhogmpher, Washington, D. C.

(No Model.) 1 2 SheetsSheet 2. J. E. SOHONAGKER.

ARM BEST FOR BOOKS.

No. 358,698. Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

Irv/Embar- 9 Mma/cw J OHN E. SOHONAOKER, OF DAYTON,

ASSIGNOR TO JAMES \V. CUMMINGS,

OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

ARiVl REST FOR BUCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,698, dated March 1, 1887.

Application filed July 22, 1886.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN E. SOHONACKER, of the city of Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arm-Rests for Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to arm-rests to be used with books, the object of the invention being to provide a cheap, simple, and durable device to support the arm of a person when writing in books of considerable thicknesssuch as legal books, journals, ledgers, dad-and to so construct the arm-rest and its component parts that it may be quickly adjusted to different heights, inclined to different angles in the direction of its width, and its arm-rest portion be extended out more or less to give more bearing-surface for the arm of the writer.

With these objects in View my invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the armrest, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents in isometrical perspective an arm-rest constructedin accordance with my invention as applied to a book; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the armrest; Fig. 3, afront end view of the same; Fig. 4., an enlarged detail of a portion of one of the supporting-legs, showing the construction of one of the clamping-washers; Fig. 5, Sheet 2, illustrates in isometrical perspective a modified form of arm-rest as applied to a book; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the armrest illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, an end view of the same, and Fig. 8 details of the clampingscrew.

' In the drawings, A represents the arm-rest proper, which consists of the end a with the projecting blade 12, said parts being preferably constructed of wood, and similar to the ordinary arm-rests now in use.

Pivoted to the forward end of the portion a of the armrest is a series of legs, 0 d d, said legs being pivoted to the portion a near its sides.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there will preferably be two legs, (Z (l, pivoted to one side of the portion a of the arm-rest, these legs being pivoted at their upper end to the depending lug or eye 6, which in turn is secured Serial No. 208,698. (No model.)

to the portion a, preferably by screwing its shank 0 into the portion a, as shown in Fig.2.

The leg 0 is pivoted at its upper end between ears of the depending lug f, secured to the other side of the portion a in a like manner as lug c. This leg 0 extends downward between the twolegs d d, saidlegsbeing crossed, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Each leg has a central slot, f, extending in the direction of its length, as shown in the drawings. The legs are secured together and held in place by means of a thumb-screw, g, the shank of which extends through the slots f in the legs, washers It being provided to bear against the legs 61 (I when pressing said legs tightly against the leg 0. These washers each have a central projection, 2', upon their inner faces to fit the slots f in the legs (I d, said projection preventing the possibility of the washers turning.

The legs 0 d d, as well as the slots f, formed therein, may be of greater or less length, as may be desired.

To provide for the extension of armrest portion a, I have provided the same with an extension-piece, 7c, said piece being movably securedto the portion a at its upper side, pref erably by means of guides 21 Z Z, two of which guides, Z Z, are secured to the upper face of the piece is and overlap the side edges of the portion a of the arm-rest, and the other two of which guides, Z l, are secured to the side edges of the portion a and overlap the upper face of the piece 70. These guides will preferably be of metal and of angle construction. By the use of such guides I effectually secure the extension'piece to the portion a of the armrest and permit it to be easily moved outward to lengthen the bearing for the arm of the writer.

Secured to the forward end of the piece 70 is a depending piece, at, which extends transversely across the end of said piece 70 and downward in close proximity to the blade i) of the arm-rest, a piece of felt or other flexible material, a, being interposed between the piece at and blade I).

The extension-piece is will preferably be made of thin wood; but it is obvious that it could be made of sheet metal, in which case the piece on and guidesl I would be formed a part with said piece by turning over portions of the metal. Therefore I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction illustrated in Fig. 1, Sheet 1.

The construction of the arm-rest as a whole, as above described, is more practical, I believe, than the one illustrated on Sheet 2 of the drawings, and is therefore preferable.

The difference between the arm-rest above described and the one illustrated on Sheet 2 of drawings consists simplyin providing only two legs to support the arm-rest instead of three, and pivoting the said legs at their upper ends to the extension-piece 70 instead of securing them to the portion a of the armrest proper, the said legs being secured together by a thumb-screw, and being of a similar construction to those illustrated in Fig. 1, Sheet 1. The two arm-rests illustrated in the two sheets of drawings being mechanically equivalent insofar as principle and operation are concerned, I desire to make my claim of sufficient scope to cover both constructions.

By reference to the drawings the operation of the arm-rest will be readily understood.

By the construction described I am not only enabled to increase or decrease the height of the arm-rest with reference to the book, but may also incline the arm-rest more or less to bring it upon the same plane of the book should the book be inclined or tipped in any manner. This may be easily and quickly done, it being simply necessary to loosen the thumb-screw, slide the legs up or down relatively to each other, and tighten the thumb-screw.

The blade 11 is extended into the book between the leaves in the usual manner, the ends of the legs resting upon the table or desk.

The portion a will preferably have a slot, 0, in its upper face, near the center, to allow the finger to be inserted when sliding the extension-piece k outward.

I claim-- 1. An'arm-rest for books, composedof the supporting-board a Z), the legs pivoted to the portion a and adj ustably secured together, and the extension-piece 7c, movably secured to the portion a, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an arm-rest, of the supporting-board a b and the extension-piece k, movably secured to the portion a by means of the guides Z ZZ Z, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. An arm-rest composed of the main supporting-board a Z), the two legs (I d, pivoted to the portion a near its forward end, the one leg 0, pivoted thereto and extended between the two legsd cl, as described, said legs having the central elongated slots, f, therein, the screw 9, securing said legs adjustably together, and the extension-piece k, adj ustably secured to the portion a of the supportingboard by means of suitable guides, said-piece k having the depending piece m atits end, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Springfield, Ohio, this 16th day of July, A. D. 1886.

P. J. OLEvENo-ER, N. E. G. WHITNEY. 

